Cotton-chopper.



o. 'WINKLER a; -K. H. THOBNE.

COTTON. CHOPPER. APPLICATION IILED 001. 20, 1908 Patented Mar, 9, 1909.

Jrwento Zifiz'virZer l arl 1 706776 My 626% NT @IFIFIQE OHRISTOPHWINKLER AND KARL H. THOENE, OF LOCKHART, TEXAS.

COTTON-CHOPPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application filed October 20, 1908. Serial No. 458,626.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Orinis'rorn WINKLER and KARL I-I. THOENE, citizensof the United States, residing at Lockhart, in the county of Caldwelland State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Choppers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton choppers, the object in view being toprovide a simple, practical and economical cotton chopper in volving anovel construction, arrangement and operation of chopping blades,whereby a great saving in the cotton crop may be efiected, the cottonworked or chopped out with greater rapidity and the refuse cotton andweeds turned to one side, thereby leaving the rows of cotton clean.

With the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will morefully appear as the description roceeds, the invention consists in thenove construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fullydescribed, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cottonchopper embodying the present invention, Fig. 2 is a de tail plan viewthereof partly in section showing the driving gear, Fig. 3 is a detailvertical cross section showing the sha e of the chopping blades, Fig. 4is a vertica section taken at right angles to Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the tongue or draft pole of theimplement, 2 the carrying wheels thereof, and 3 the whifiietree for theattachment of animals.

In carrying out the present invention, one of the carrying wheels 2constitutes the driving wheel by means of which motion is imparted tothe chopping blades hereinafter escribed. The axle upon which thecarrying wheels are mounted is substantially U- shaped with outwardlyprojecting ends forming the spindles 4 u on which the carrying wheelsare journale the body of said axle shown at 5 passing under the machineframe shown at 6 and being secured thereto by clips 7 as shown inFig. 1. The frame 6 is substantially rectangular in plan, comprising 0positely arranged side bars to which the c ips 7 are connected.

The carrying wheel 2 which constitutes the driving wheel, embodies ahollow axle 8 which is journaled upon the adjacent spindle of the mainaxle and which has fast thereon a driving gear wheel 9.

This wheel 9 mesheswith and drives a pinion 10 which is fast on the rearend section 11 of tumbling shaft, said section 11 having a universaljoint at 12 with the forward section 13 of the tumbling shaft section 13forming the chopper shaft to which the chopping blades 14 and 15 aresecured and by which rotary motion is imparted to said blades.

The gears 9 and 10 are preferably inclosed in and protected by gearcases or hoods 16 and 17 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and it ispreferable to make the shaft section 11 longitudinally extensible asshown in 3 by providing said shaft with relatively s idable telescopicsections adapted to be held in fixed relation to each other whenadjusted by means of a set screw 18.

The chopping blade shaft section 13 inclines downwardly toward itsforward end and is mounted adjacent to its forward end in a bearing 19carried by the forward end of a hanger 20 secured at its rear upper endto the frame 6.

21 designates a brace which is interposed between the main frame 6 andthe fOlWtli end portion of the hanger 20 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Therear end portion of the shaft section 13 is journaled in another hanger22 extending downwardly from the lower side of the main frame as seen inFig. 1..

The main body portion 5 of the main axle of the machine is adapted toturn in the clips 7 in order to provide for an adjustment of the tongueand machine frame up and down this being accomplished by means whichwill now be described.

23 designates the seat standard upon which is mounted the drivers seat24. Between the standard 23 and the said portions of the axle there areinterposed braces 25. Connected to one of the standards 23 is a thumblatch lever 26 from which a link 27 extends downward to and connectswith a bracket 28 secured to the rear end portion of the main frame 6.The latch of said lever cooperates with a rack segment 29 secured to theseat standard 23. The operator by moving the thumb latch lever may raiseor lower the main frame of the machine and lift and depress the choppingblades.

Each of the chopping blades is of arcuate form and substantiallysemi-circular. There are two chopping blades which are connected aboutcentrally to the forwardly inclined feet 30 of a fork 31, the latterbeing secured to the forward end of the shaft section 13 which isbifurcated and spread as shown at 32 to bear against the fork 31, theparts 31 and 32 being bolted or otherwise secured firmly together asindicated at 33. The

blades 14 and 15 are sharpened at their forward edges, said forwardedges constituting the cutting edges of the blades. The blades are alsoset spirally as clearly indicated-in Figs. 1 and 4, the arrangementcausing said blades to cut with a shearing action as they are rotated bythe driving shaft upon which they are mounted. The shaft of the bladesalso adapts them to out very close to the surface of the ground and infact slightly'beneath the surface of the ground so as to efficientlysever the roots of the plants. It is also preferred to bevel or sharpenthe forward extremities of the blades bringingthe same to a point toenable them to more easily penetrate the soil and chop out the cottonplants and weeds and throw the same centrifugally to one side of theroad.

The chopper blades hereinbefore described form what resembles andoperates as a large auger with two cutting blades and by revolving saidblades at the proper speed they chop out the cotton so as to leave thesame in hills at the proper distance apart. At the same time said bladeschop out the weeds also and by centrifugal action throw the weeds andrefuse cotton to the sides of the rows, thereby leaving the rows clean.

We claim A cotton chopper embodying a rotary tumbling shaft having afork atthe forward end thereof, spirally arranged chopping bladesegments centrally secured to the extremities of said fork and actuatedthereby, a hanger fastened to the machine frame and provided with abearing for the forward section of said shaft, a brace interposedbetween said bearing and the machine frame, and beveled gearingconnecting the rear section of said tumbling shaft with one of thecarrying wheels of the machine, said rear section of the shaft beingdisposed obliquely with relation to the path of movement of the machine.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

CHRISTOPH WINKLER. KARL H. THOENE.

Witnesses:

STANLEY SMITH, GEO. W. BAKER.

